Various types of rescue boats exist to navigate through rough water courses. One example of such a rescue craft is an air-propelled watercraft, or airboat. Typically, airboats provide air-propulsion to propel flat bottom-hulled boats through waterways. Such watercraft typically are relatively compact, allowing them to maneuver through brush, reeds, or other low-water conditions. As such, rescue boats typically include a metal or other hard, resilient hull, often constructed of aluminum.
Metal-hulled airboats are generally useable in low-water conditions, as opposed to traditional prop-driven watercraft. However, these airboats have drawbacks. For example, in the case of open water conditions, and in particular in windy conditions where currents or waves may be significant, traditional airboats become unstable, and could capsize. Even if they do not capsize in such conditions, often there are conditions in which it is unsafe to operate such rescue craft, such as in inclement weather conditions. Additionally, even in advantageous weather, such rescue craft have a limited cargo and/or passenger capacity, due in part to the shallow, low profile native of the hull.
For these and other reasons, improvements are desirable.